


the only thing that never fails

by wafflelate



Series: never dream of regretting [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Friendship, M/M, Mentions of Tenten, Sexual Tension, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-21
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-10-28 00:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17777486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflelate/pseuds/wafflelate
Summary: "One of my students requires specialized storage seals," Gai says to him at the end of the day, when the sun is sinking low and the sounds of a summer festival are filtering through the training grounds from the village. Kakashi isn't quite so exhausted that his limbs tremble, but he's glad that Gai has started his extensive cool-down stretches."Not the Hyuuga," Kakashi guesses, voice dry. Hyuuga Neji is reportedly a prodigy, and no Hyuuga prodigy would do anything requiring specialized — meaningspecialized for combat— storage seals. Hyuuga use their bare hands and nothing else. It can't be the other boy either, for obvious reasons, and that leaves... "The girl, then. Whatever her name is."





	the only thing that never fails

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tuesday](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesday/gifts).



> Your Trick or Treat sign up for Gai caught my eye but then I got too busy. Now, at last, I have redeemed myself!
> 
> Also, much thanks to SQ, Pepper, Shelf, and Voldecourt for betaing.

Just before sunrise, Kakashi gives up on reading and quits his apartment to join in on Gai's habitual morning run. A slow jog turns into a race, and then before Kakashi knows it he's sucked into a 'glorious test of endurance!' on what should be both his and Gai's day off. 

"One of my students requires specialized storage seals," Gai says to him at the end of the day, when the sun is sinking low and the sounds of a summer festival in the village are filtering through the training grounds. Kakashi isn't quite so exhausted that his limbs tremble, but he's glad that Gai has started his extensive cool-down stretches. 

"Not the Hyuuga," Kakashi guesses, voice dry. Hyuuga Neji is reportedly a prodigy, and no Hyuuga prodigy would do anything requiring specialized — meaning _specialized for combat_ — storage seals. Hyuuga use their bare hands and nothing else. It can't be the other boy either, for obvious reasons, and that leaves... "The girl, then. Whatever her name is." 

"Tenten!" Gai crows. 

"Right, her." 

Gai slides himself into new stretch that pulls his suit tight across his broad back. The fabric clings to him, and in the light of the sinking sun every dip and curve of muscle is in sharp relief. 

Kakashi knows what that back feels like. It's a good back, really deserving of appreciation. He's slid his hand across it countless times — looking for tears in the suit, for blood, for breaks, for poisoned senbon, for something to steady himself against. He remembers that he used to pointedly duck even the slightest brush of contact, that there was a time he wouldn't have been able to fathom wanting to touch another person. But that was then. This is Gai. 

He realizes that Gai is waiting for him to answer the implied request only when Gai switches to his next stretch and sneaks a glance at him out of the corner of his eye. 

"Weapons or jutsu support?" Kakashi asks, because those are the most likely and Gai's genin are all 12 and practically useless still. The girl either wants to carry a lot of kunai or she's looking for a way to carry water around with her for water jutsu. 

"On our last mission she switched to throwing camping equipment when she ran out of kunai. It was a truly inspired use of non-traditional weapons work, a testament to her youthful ingenuity! However, I would prefer she was properly armed for future encounters." 

Most ninja, including experienced ones, struggle to use even poorly-balanced weapons to any effect. It's interesting that Gai's fresh genin managed to turn whatever she happened to have on hand into an effective offense. "Kill anyone?" 

Gai hums pensively. "No. Her aim is very precise, however." 

It's on the tip of Kakashi's tongue say, _If she fights without the intent to kill she'll be dead by this time next year_ , but he holds back. Gai knows what his students need to learn, and besides — the world isn't how it was when he and Gai were children. 

So Kakashi says, "Ah, smart enough to avoid getting gore on essentials," and otherwise holds his tongue on the subject. 

Gai's lips quirk. "Neji did not enjoy being sent to retrieve everything she threw before we could make camp and have dinner." A few chuckles escape as he sinks into a distracting leg stretch. 

Kakashi senses weakness. "Inuzuka Tsume might steal him away for Sensory Squad if she finds out he's good at playing fetch," he muses. "You should watch out." 

The carefully arranged stretch that Gai has just settled into slowly falls apart as Gai breaks out into a full, thunderous belly-laugh. He lowers himself to the ground like the laughter has melted the last of the strength from his limbs. Kakashi's not really sorry to have interrupted his cool-down — Gai _knows_ how to flush his body with chakra to prevent cramps, something Kakashi did ten minutes ago, so the stretches are just superfluous actions holding them up from beating the dinner rush. Kakashi only hasn't complained because the first half of the stretching had been full of a long, impassioned explanation about how the stretching was being done in solidarity with his 'hardest working student' and Kakashi has no intention of inviting that topic's return. Watching Gai stretch in silence had been preferable. 

Much more preferable. 

Kakashi reaches out a hand to help Gai up off the ground. Their hands clasp tight. Gai's callouses catch on Kakashi's gloves. Kakashi hauls Gai to his feet, his muscles forgetting their fatigue just long enough for him to complete this necessary task. 

"She can't just buy the scrolls she needs?" Kakashi asks, returning them to the topic at hand even though he can almost definitely guess the answer. 

"No," Gai says, as expected, letting himself be hustled towards the village. "Regrettably, Tenten is an orphan and has no source of income besides our missions." 

It leaves a bitter taste on Kakashi's tongue, but despite how rarely Gai asks for favors — "I won't teach her." 

Not even for Gai. 

"I know." Gai claps him on the arm. Even through the fabric of Kakashi's sleeves, Gai's hand is a warm defense against the chill of the incoming night. "I would not ask that of you. I was hoping..." Gai's thumb sweeps a nervous arc over the inside of Kakashi's upper arm. He doesn't finish his sentence. 

Kakashi has been brought to a halt by the careful clasp of Gai's hand around his arm. No, Kakashi is halted by the electric feeling of Gai's thumb moving bare inches across skin that isn't even exposed. He's stilled not by caution but by the weight of intimacy... and by Gai's unexpected hesitation. 

"You were hoping?" Kakashi prods, eye half-lidded. 

"I was hoping you would teach _me_." The words seem to scrape against Gai's throat, like they had to struggle to get out. 

Most people would have just asked to buy them at a cheaper rate than retail from Kakashi, or tried to barter favors. Kakashi might have even expected Gai to challenge him to a one-handed hanging knife fight, or something of the sort, with the scrolls Tenten needs as the prize. Gai's never shied away from extra work, though, even (or especially) when it concerns tasks he's not naturally suited to. 

His life and Gai's life are already as tangled as they're going to get, is the thing. Without ever being asked, Gai has taught Kakashi ten, twenty, a hundred things, and Kakashi has surely taught Gai in turn. There's no denying that sealing is different from grapples or traps or perseverance, but _Gai_ is still the same. The logistics of the lessons are the only things that really need considering: the soft rasp of paper against paper; sitting in Gai's apartment for hours on end; guiding Gai's hands through the right strokes. 

"Yes." The weight of the knowledge, its providence and history, Kakashi can carry that for Gai's sake for long enough to teach him. 

Gai smiles at him, a smile that slowly grows into a grin. "My rival is very generous! I'll have to repay him." Gai squeezes his arm, then lets go. "I'll buy dinner!" 

He was planning on sticking Gai with the bill for dinner anyway, but it's nice for him to volunteer. "That's a start," Kakashi agrees. He keeps his tone low and deliberate, full of implications. His arm practically burns where Gai's hand had rested. "I have a few other ideas, too." 

"I look forward to hearing them," Gai says brightly. "But we must refuel ourselves with dinner first." 

Kakashi's not actually sure if Gai's being obtuse purposefully or not, but he's content to get through dinner before he finds out either way. He lets Gai lead the way towards his restaurant of choice, letting Gai's long explanation of his students' fighting techniques wash over him in comforting waves. 

**Author's Note:**

> It seems prudent to mention that Tenten as a pacifist and Inuzuka Tsume as head of the Sensory Squad (which does tracking) are both picked up from Dreaming of Sunshine.


End file.
